Cafeteria Marianao

BLUF: Delicious food. A must for flavor…read more Food (5/5): The totones took me back to my vacation in Puerto Rico. They were absolutely delicious and a must. The burger was flavorful and a great price for how filling it was. The chicken was phenomenal. Packed with flavors and you can taste each spice used. Spectacular food. Service (5/5): Service was great. Our server was nice and filled up waters when needed. He would come by when we were in a convo lull, just watching the COCOs drive around, park, wait, then drive off again. It was very entertaining. Ambiance (5/5): It had a clean vibe. Lots of plants to add to the vibe. It was very welcoming. We were seated at the window bar stools, though all the other tables in there were empty. The bathrooms were also very clean. It's in a very safe neighborhood, as someone left their baby stroller outside for an hour and no one messed with it. There is parking, but very limited since... city.

This place is amazing. I felt like I was back in south florida! Our waiter recommended the arroz…read morecon pollo - AGREE. it was sooo good. We were there on a busy Saturday afternoon but didn't have to wait long to sit or get our food. Bar was a little behind but - again- it was a busy Saturday afternoon. My family ordered Cuban sandwiches and the wrap and said they were delicious. Will definitely be back.

2.8 mi•West Town, Humboldt Park

Interior

Churrasco

See all

Spicy mango mojito

1492 Cuban Fusion

4.4(335 reviews)

We visited 1492 this week while visiting from out-of-town, and found it to be in the top 3 of Cuban…read moreplaces we've tried anywhere! We tried the empanada trio with pork, chicken, and ham-n-cheese, and all were tasty; the lechon [pork] was especially great. For mains, my spouse ordered the masitas de cerdo (fried pork) and I got the pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken). We both opted for congri and maduros for sides. The flavor of everything was delicious! The meat was slightly on the dry side, and the maduros were SO sweet that we wondered if they were bananas rather than plantains, but overall we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The portions were plentiful. If we weren't staying in a hotel with a fridge but no microwave, we definitely would've had enough to take home for a whole other meal each. We would definitely be regular patrons if we didn't live hours away!

We ordered a variety of dishes to try 1492 as a first time customer. Empanadas, steak salad and a…read morecouple of the entrees to try different proteins and dishes. We also got the cuban sandwich. The Cuban sandwich was good but lacked any real flavor. Not sure if it's because it was delivered (so not as hot off the grill). But it was good, just not great. Next time I'd reheat it first. The empanadas were very good. We enjoyed a variety. My favorite was the pork. The steak and chicken entree's (both grilled) were ok and were both closer to 3 stars at best, maybe 2. The meat was tender but was a little bland, and as a to-go dish, the presentation is just unappetizing. I wouldn't order those again. The sandwiches are good to try in the future.

6.6 mi•Streeterville, Near North Side

Interior

Tostones / Fried Green Plantains Yuca Frita / Fried Cassava

See all

Garlic sauce

Cafecito

4.2(1k reviews)

Great food (and I'm Cuban), unreal prices for for anywhere but downtown? Crazy! Great sercice and…read moredrinks too.

What a wonderful place! Charming location and even more charming staff. Visiting Chicago for the…read morefirst time and with an hour to my appointment in the Hancock Tower's 360 feature, I had plenty of time to get a quick bite before the Chicago 360. So searching in Yelp I see a Cuban restaurant, and that's my fav, so I went in and I had a great early dinner. Cafecito would be at home in a pre-revolutionary Cuban building, when Art Deco architecture permeated much of Havana and the other major cities in Cuba. Plenty of outdoor seating, but I chose to eat in the cafe area due to time constraints. I had the Vaca Frita which I haven't had in over 60 years and wow, it was amazing. It came with the proverbial white rice, black beans with plenty of condiment, and maduros. Oh yummy. My Cuban grandma would have been pleased... The waiter was indeed, a Cuban American who had come over during the early Cuban diaspora. We chatted a bunch about the old country and had a pleasant conversation about being from the same province in the island. Great reminiscing, great food, great service. Yum.

6.2 mi•River North, Near North Side

Yucca fries and Guava - Q Pork Sandwich

See all

Mango tajin cocktail

Havana Grill

3.9(1.1k reviews)

Havana absolutely lives up to its reputation! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with…read morewarm smiles and amazing service. We came for the mojito flight, and it did not disappoint--it was so good! We also ordered the steak plate and the Torta Cubana, and everything was delicious. I honestly cannot rave enough about this place. The food, drinks, atmosphere, and service were all excellent. A special thank you to Ixchel, who was absolutely amazing and made our experience even better. I love this place and definitely recommend it!

Umm no thanks…read more There was a smashed cockroach on my glass. It was huge. One of the people who worked there saw me holding up the glass to look at it and quickly took it away. Margarita was pretty gross. How do they not have guacamole. This was a big mistake.

Interior

Half Guacamole

See all

Sitting curbside, super cute scenery.

Mima's Taste of Cuba

4.2(527 reviews)

3.5 mi•Irving Park

I have drive past this colorful place and finally go to try it. Sat outside on their dog friendly…read morepatio. Clean and spacious outside. Food is amazing. The empanadas were the best. The chicken one was great. The best one was the seasonal shrimp. Amazing and so much shrimp and the sauce was bomb. Service was good. Server came many times to fill water and all staff were nice.

Great Cuban inspired restaurant. The food is amazing! The restaurant is welcoming and the staff…read moreis very friendly

Empanadas

See all

Water

Cafecito

4.2(2.1k reviews)

6.3 mi•The Loop

Cafecito is one of those spots you just....have to go. I love the food, I have been here often,…read morethis is not even the first time! Naturally, the place does tend to get busy. Really, really busy at lunch hour. I don't think it's as much a place for sitdown as it is a place to order ahead and pick up - but don't let that pull you away from the magic that is Cafecito. Food is great, you have a dedicated vegan menu, what's not to like? This will forever be on my list of places to go and suggest to others, and has continued to show why they deserve it.

I'd never had Cuban food before until I came here. I got a fried tilapia platter which came with…read morerice and a spinach salad. I genuinely cleaned this plate off. The spinach had a kind of sauce with it that when mixed with the rice and fish tasted absolutely divine. The plantains were perfectly fried. My friend got the pork sandwich which she also enjoyed. We also got two vanilla lattes which were very good. This place has both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outdoor because the weather was nice but the vibes were good inside as well. They have a pastry counter indoors that looked good. I would highly recommend making a reservation because the place was packed on a Thursday morning! In the future I would bring friends and family here.

4.8 mi•Ravenswood, Lakeview

Seating area

Still on point.....steak, eggs annnnnd coffee

See all

Bayan Ko Diner

4.3(141 reviews)

a lovely place for brunch in lincoln square! staff was extremely friendly and consistently checked…read morein on us. the food was absolutely delicious and came out piping hot. the pork belly of the sisig shishito hash practically melts in your mouth. the flavor of the ube pancakes was strong and overall wasn't too sweet. the standout for us was the crab rangoon dip! so glad we came in during our weekend trip to chicago :)

I really wanted to love this place. We went she s cubs game hoping for a delish meal. However, we…read moreboth thought the waitress was a bit cold and when we first arrived, there were only two tables with customers We ordered two teas. The hibiscus tea I had was pretty delicious. Then we ordered the lechon whole portion but we had such a good day that we did not want to sour the day and send it back it was supposed to be crispy pork but instead it was a plate of pork fat pieces - maybe 10% meat. We took the leftovers to our dog as he will eat anything. The wings were really good I'll say. The croqueras were okay Id say; not the freshest or maybe the oil was dirty. Cute place however.

Interior

Sisig shishito hash and drinks

See all

Ropa vieja, black beans, maduros, garlic rice

El Cubanito

4.5(429 reviews)

1.3 mi•Logan Square

We were staying in Logan Square on our recent 9 day visit to Chicago and stumbled upon this joint…read moreby accident and it was so ridiculously good, we came.fpr a 2nd time the same trip. It is incredibly well priced, the food is incredible and the staff is amazing. We tried the Cuban, the grilled chicken and the ham, cheese and egg. All soooo good. AND both times the manager brought us out complimentary empanadas to try which were also delicious. The 2nd time he sent us home with a comped streak sandwich, again amazing. The Cuban iced coffee puts most coffee places to shame.

This place sucks, not sure what people order here that they love. The empanadas were disgusting…read more Cafe was short of amazing and the sandwiches were small!

Front counter

Cubanito Steak Sandwich

See all

I loved this poster.

Marina's Bistro and Rum Bar

4.5(135 reviews)

5.5 mi•Uptown

I know they are soon moving locations and expanding, which is well deserved. Whether or not this…read morereview travels to that new location, I guess time will tell, but what I can tell you right now is that the move is well-deserved. A beautiful little place, tucked away in a cozy corner of a small shopping center, you'd never expect such flavors and such an escape. With a larger place, walk ins would probably be handled fine. When I went, we felt lucky showing up when we did, as it soon filled up inside, such that a couple had to be turned away at the door. Plantain soup. It was a special, and special it was. The drinks were equally phenomenal. And the service was delightful. Itching to go back before they make their move.

So today after many month of wanting to try this restaurant in our next-door neighborhood we…read morefinally went today and OMG it was the best northside Puerto Rican Restaurant we have have visited actually the only one in the north side of Chicago. Thr atmosphere and ambiance was amazing beautifully decorated in the place is small but cozy and you literally feel at home, the owner chef and his bartender hostest greet you like if your family. The owner Eric is so sweet and down to earth he makes you feel like an old friend visiting from the homeland. Katie was supper sweet and very informative on all the menu and drinks. I decided to try the Entre Las Sabanas made with Bacardi & Conac it was so good I asked for a second one. My wife had Tamarindo non alcohol because she was driving, we also asked for the Hummus de Gandules that was so different and so yummy served with plantain chips. For dinner I had shrimps with arroz blanco and pink beans my dinner was so good. My wife had vistec encebollado with rice and beans, she loved it. Our dessert was pudding de pan. It's a must restaurant to visit if you like Puerto Rican food. I highly recommend this restaurant and on weekends it's highly recommend to make reservations. I will certainly return again.

Dining room, small bar

Lechon Asada with majado (mashed taro)

See all

Booth area

Omarcitos Latin Cafe

4.8(130 reviews)

1.4 mi•Logan Square

If you aren't coming to Omarcitos, you are missing out. My boyfriend loves all the Jibaritos but…read morethe Lechón Plate may be the best dish I've had anywhere in the city (and I have been to Michelin star and Top 50 Bars rated spots around Chicago). We split the Tacos Dorados De Pollo En Consomé as an app for the first time today and it was simply perfect. The lemonade is made super fresh. I have a feeling I may have to try everything on the menu. The energy is immaculate - maximalist mix of colorful tables and chairs, plants, original paintings, and a signed poster of Guy Fieri. The people who work here are so kind and helpful. The music is not so loud that you can't talk. There's an open-air indoor area and an outdoor section. If you get here before it gets too crowded, it's not a bad place to sit and read a book either.

Yasss Omarcitos is exactly it!! I can not count how many times I have been. The food is…read moreconsistently amazing. Always hits 100/100. The place is getting popular, very popular. So if coming during peak times expect a small line and enjoy Omar is amazing standing at the window making sure everything runs smooth. He is yelling out hello papis left and right. He knows and loves everyone. The menu is full of everything is fire. Enjoy it this is one of the best on this country

Best Coconut café con leche

Steak Sandwich or Steak Jibarito

See all

Eye catching local art

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

5 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Omar M.

28

2

0

8 years ago

I love this place, steak sandwich is my favorite and off course the coffee and it's not to expensive. I recommend this place and the people who work over there they are really friendly. read more

Juan D.

23

10

13 years ago

Best Cafe Con Leche i had in my entire life! the steak sandwich are the best i hardly recommended.

Geo D.

1

13

10 years ago

I've been going there since I was a kid, everything is good lol. Except the wait lol

Margiecely D.

0

3

0

5 years ago

Best steak sandwiches and coffee love this place

Jesus F.

Elite 16

101

142

82

12 years ago

Get the Cubano...

Cafeteria Marianao - cuban - Updated September 2026

People who viewed Cafeteria Marianao also viewed

Bia's Café Marianao

4.5

(192 reviews)

Salsa, sandwiches, and soul!…read more Whether you're craving a classic Cuban sandwich, a refreshing Mamey shake, or a serious caffeine kick from a traditional Cuban coffee, this spot delivers. Here's what I ate here: Croquetas (must order) Cuban Sandwich Mamey Pro-tip: Look for the painting of the founder in the corner--a beautiful tribute to a local favorite. On the corner of Lowell and Addison

We found a true taste of Cuba right here on the North Side…read more It's cozy, authentic, and the staff treats you like family. The owner (3rd generation) Marcus Santiago, is very friendly and welcoming. These were my favorites: Empanadas Beef and Chicken Double Steak Sandwich Mango Milkshake Pro-tip: Look for the painting of the founder in the corner--a beautiful tribute to a local favorite.

Bia's Cafe Marianao

4.3

(145 reviews)

I've had cafe con leche from here a couple of times now. Both times we received exceptional…read moreservice. They'll offer you some samples of their drinks while you wait in line. I've only tried their cafe con leche and it's delicious. Pretty authentic tasting, similar to something you'll get at a Cuban Cafe in Miami. I'll definitely be returning, especially to try some of their food next time around.

The coffee is spot on, didn't get any this visit but I've gotten it a few times before. Prices are…read morecrazy low and the food is great. I got the steak sandwich and spinach empanada. Honestly the sandwich was really good, I wouldn't mind some mayo on it but it was really good regardless. Empanada went down smooth and was really soft. The edges were harder but still soft which is impressive to say the least. The staff had exceptional service. Highly recommend this place. There's another location about 2.5 miles east of this one.

El Cubanito

4.5

(429 reviews)

We were staying in Logan Square on our recent 9 day visit to Chicago and stumbled upon this joint…read moreby accident and it was so ridiculously good, we came.fpr a 2nd time the same trip. It is incredibly well priced, the food is incredible and the staff is amazing. We tried the Cuban, the grilled chicken and the ham, cheese and egg. All soooo good. AND both times the manager brought us out complimentary empanadas to try which were also delicious. The 2nd time he sent us home with a comped streak sandwich, again amazing. The Cuban iced coffee puts most coffee places to shame.

This place sucks, not sure what people order here that they love. The empanadas were disgusting…read more Cafe was short of amazing and the sandwiches were small!

Senor Pan Cafe - Fullerton

4.0

(568 reviews)

It was such a cute spot. I had a mocha iced latte and it was perfectly balanced. To eat I had the…read morecubano and it was exactly what I had envisioned. It was tasty, crunchy and made with love. The service was pleasant. Our waitress answered all our questions with a smile. The music playing was merengue and fit the vibes.

Food is awesome and service is quick. Really great Puerto Rican food…read more Clean and simple place to eat. I recommend this restaurant

Cozy Corner

4.1

(279 reviews)

Great place for breakfast. I've been going here for years. They recently have put shrimp and grits…read moreon the menu and it hits the mark!

The wait it ok. Sometimes 20-30 minutes on a Sunday brunch. All the servers are great. Food is…read moretypically good and so filling. There's always leftovers which I hate throwing away but I'm not going home so I can't take it with me. One of us typically gets the Texas Skillet with chicken on the side ( for my son ) and toast but you can choose pancakes which are really great! The French toast slam is off the hook. We get two sandwiches plus hash browns. Very delicious. Milk shakes are super rich!

Sandwíchon Café

3.8

(23 reviews)

I've passed by Sandwichón Café countless times driving up and down Harlem, so we finally decided to…read morestop in for lunch--and I'm glad we did. At first, I was a little unsure how it worked since there's a service counter, but staff quickly greeted us and showed us to a table. Table service was a pleasant surprise. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, walking us through an impressively extensive menu. I ordered the Double Medianoche--pulled pork, ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, and sweet pickles, all pressed panini‑style. My friend went with the Pan con Croqueta, a ham and cheese sandwich topped with a ham croquette. For anyone unfamiliar (myself included), croquetas are minced pork that's breaded and deep‑fried. Both sandwiches were solid, but the Medianoche was the clear winner for me--warm, flavorful, and perfectly pressed. With so many options on the menu, there's plenty more I want to try. Friendly staff, good food, and a comfortable dine‑in experience. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. There at least two signs advising they will charge 18% gratuity to tables of three or more and will not split checks for three or more.

Kicking myself for waiting to try this place. Ordered eggs with breakfast sausage. Those sausage…read morepatties are amazing. Had to try the alcapuria, it was amazing. The cheese and jam empanada arrived hot and gooey. The breakfast potatoes just perfectly seasoned. It's great to have a place this good nearby.

Bill's Place Restaurant

4.8

(8 reviews)

This place is definitely a hidden gem! It is only carry out but the food is sooo good, u won't…read moremind. The owner and the ladies are sooo nice and friendly. Definitely a regular now

Our team walked in for breakfast thinking it was sit down, but it's all carry out. So we switched…read moregears and enjoyed a great breakfast when we got back to eat it. My favorite part was the pancakes (huge and tasty) and the corned beef hash!

Mr Pollo

3.6

(26 reviews)

The food was amazing! The 1/2 chicken meal is great because you can choose any two sides. I got the…read moreyuca fries and fried sweet plantains- they were both amazing. The smoothie was a little too bitter for my liking. Service was very friendly but didn't check-in very often because they get pretty swamped with take out orders. There is a lot of seating available.

This place has been opened for a long time and it's literally by Fina estampa which is the best…read morepollo a la brasa restaurant in Chicago so they're doing something right to stay in business. I'd say their chicken is good, but nothing out of this world. It lacks a bit more flavor but it is definitely better than an average rotisserie chicken. This is supposed to be pollo a la brasa though which is supposed to be better than rotiseri chicken, Their sides are packed and they have amazing tostones. All of the prices have gone up and honestly unless you get the whole chicken, everything else is pretty pricey now. They also have a new credit card extra percentage charge which makes this place a lot more pricier. Overall, good food but I'd you want the best pollo a la brasa just walk 20 steps next door to Fina estampa.

Belmont Fusion

4.3

(4 reviews)

Brand new breakfast, brunch, and banquet place. Reasonable prices for hosting a party. Yummy food…read more I had the Texas skillet and my husband had the huevos ranchero. We were both pleasantly surprised. The chicken breast was grilled perfectly and was a good amount to share with my little guy. They are brand new and don't have a lot of wait staff so it can be a little slow but the owner came around to offer us more coffee. I'm sure once business picks up they'll hire more people and everything will run smoother. I'm always happy to support my local businesses. This means we don't have to drive too far to grab breakfast. Check them out. We'll be back.

Walking in is kinda off-putting. Looks like a banquet hall masquerading as a diner. I had to ask if…read morethey were open. After some time, they put some music on, it was so quiet at first. Was initially served cold coffee, had to ask for new cup. I ordered the Very Berry pancakes, got the French toast version with just strawberries I love French toast too, so I wasn't mad, but I was really craving pancakes. The French toast were ok, I wouldn't get them again. I think they're made from frozen, tbh. I also got the Denver omlett, that was very good, and the potatoes were cooked perfectly.

Bob-O-Rinos

3.9

(209 reviews)